České dráhy, the Czech railway company (ČD) awarded Škoda Transportation a contract to provide regular maintenance services for RegioPanter and InterPanter EMU fleet. CZK 1 billion (EUR 39.3 million) is the value of the contract.
Under the agreement, Škoda Transportation will deliver the services for a period of five years to ensure the trains are able to run on the rail network.
“We see this as a great commitment and at the same time as good news of long-term perspective and stability for our skilled employees and business partners. We highly value the trust of Czech Railways and look forward to further successful cooperation,” said Aleš Měrka, the CEO of Škoda Pars, which is based in Šumperk, Olomouc Region.
For the next 60 months, Škoda Transportation will be responsible for regular maintenance of an EMU fleet of 41 vehicles consisting of RegioPanter 440, 640, 650 and InterPanter 660 and 661 series.
The RegioPanter electric multiple units have been delivered in 2012 and traveled around 1.5 million kilometers and, to meet the safety requirements as part of the Entity in Charge of Maintenance (ECM) certification system in the next years, “we have competed for suppliers to perform periodic renewals in the following period. Each set thus has a comprehensive service and higher levels of repairs, which are carried out after every 900,000 km,” Ivan Bednárik, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of České dráhy said.
The services will be performed at the Šumperk plant which is focused on mainly on periodic repairs, heavy maintenance and modernisation of railway rolling stock for customers in the Czech Republic, and also from abroad.
In the near future, Škoda Transportation Group will also be in charge of long-term full service of electric trains, which are now manufactured for the South Moravian Region.
This year, ČD has presented its first new three-car push-pull train manufactured by Škoda Transportation which entered into test process at the Velim centre. The train will enter trial operation in Moravian-Silesian Region.
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